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Drug crime on the rise - again

Nino Bucci

Crime figures to be released later this week will show a 21 per cent increase in drug offences, Chief Commissioner Ken Lay says.

Mr Lay told ABC Radio this morning that 12-month crime figures from September last year would also reveal a 58 per cent increase in amphetamine use and possession.

He said amphetamine use was a major driver of crime across Victoria, but that the importation of high-grade "ice" also required a national response.

"The ice in particular we we know is coming from overseas," he said.

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"Probably every week you're seeing a significant seizure on a national level."

Mr Lay said that did not mean police would shift their focus from Victorian drug manufacturers, saying Melbourne's bloody gangland war had been fuelled by a turf battle for the lucrative amphetamine market.

"This is still definitely with us, we're still seeing a lot of local amphetamine production."

In May, annual crime figures showed the the largest increase for any type of crime was in drug offences, which leapt 14.7 per cent.

Mr Lay said then that the jump might be due to more resources being allocated to tackle the problem and improvements in detection.